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Anti-aging Medicine > Flaxseed
Flaxseed
Note: Please take a minute to read my
essential fatty acids (EFA) page, which will clear up some of the confusion
regarding EFAs.
Related Topics:
Specific Recommendations:
Omega 3 in various fish oil capsules as a percentage of the total fat in the capsule |
Brand |
Total omega 3 |
EPA |
DHA |
Other omega 3 (DPA and ALA) |
Twinlab TwinEPA (vc )
1,000 mg capsule |
840/1000 = 84% |
600/1000 = 60% |
240/1000 = 24% |
0% |
| Jarrow Max DHA * 500 mg capsule |
400/500 = 80% |
100/500 = 20% |
250/500 = 50% |
50/500 = 10% |
| Sun Ultra DHA 50 * 500 mg capsule |
400/500 = 80% |
100/500 = 20% |
250/500 = 50% |
50/500 = 10% |
| Sun Ultra 30/20 * 1,000 mg capsule |
600/1000 = 60% |
300/1000 = 30% |
200/1000 = 20% |
100/1000 = 10% |
| Source Naturals EPA 1,000 mg capsule |
600/1000 = 60% |
450/1000 = 45% |
100/1000 = 10% |
50/1000 = 5% |
| RxOmega-3 1,000 mg capsule |
630/1065 = 59% |
400/1065 = 38% |
200/1065 = 19% |
30/1065 = 3% |
| LEF Mega EPA 1,200 mg capsule |
700/1200 = 58% |
400/1200 = 33% |
300/1200 = 25% |
0% |
| Enzymatic Eskimo-3 500 mg capsule |
200/500 = 40% |
87/500 = 17% |
55/500 = 11% |
58/500 = 12% |
| NSI Superior EFA
1,000 mg capsule |
400/1000 = 40% |
100/1000 = 10% |
250/1000 = 25% |
50/1000 = 5% |
| Carlson Norwegian Salmon Oil 1,000 mg capsule |
375/1000 = 38% |
180/1000 = 18% |
125/1000 = 13% |
70/1000 = 7% |
| Twinlab Super MaxEPA (vc)
1,200 mg capsule |
375/1200
= 31% |
225/1200 = 19% |
150/1200 = 12% |
0% |
| Sun Ultra Omega 3 1,000 mg capsule |
300/1000 = 30% |
180/1000 = 18% |
120/1000 = 12% |
0% |
| Zone Perfect
* 1000 mg capsule |
267/1000 = 27% |
160/1000 = 16% |
107/1000 = 11% |
|
| Now Foods Salmon Oil |
400/2000 = 20% |
240/2000 = 12% |
160/2000 = 8% |
0% |
Vegetable oils (note that the omega 3 is in the form of ALA. See "General Information" below for why this might not be as good) |
| Source Natural Omega Flax
1,000 mg capsule |
570/1000 = 57% |
0% |
0% |
570/1000 = 57% (ALA) |
| Canola Oil |
10% |
0% |
0% |
10% (ALA) |
vc - Vitacost price
* Molecular Distillation
General Information:
Note: The omega-3 in flaxseed oil is in the
form of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) which can convert to
EPA and DHA in the body but it appears that you need relatively large
amounts of ALA to form enough EPA and DHA to meet the recommendations for these
fatty acids. Refs:
-
Flaxseed and Flaxseed Oil (Linum usitatissimum) - M. D. Anderson Cancer
Center
-
Omega 3: Implications in Human Health and Disease - PowerPak.com -
"It should be noted, however, that flaxseed or flaxseed oil does not contain
EPA or DHA. Thus flaxseed and fish oil are not interchangeable sources of
omega 3 fatty acids per se"
-
Nutriques - Fish Oils - nutrition.cornell.edu -
"In the body, LNA can be converted to EPA and DHA. However it appears that
you need relatively large amounts of LNA to form enough EPA and DHA to meet
the recommendations for these fatty acids. Exactly how much more has not
been determined, because the rate of conversion of LNA to EPA and DHA in
humans is not known. It is very likely that the rate of conversion varies by
age, gender, and type of tissue in the body (for example, the rate in the
brain may be higher than the rate in the liver). Therefore, taking large
amounts of LNA may not be an effective alternative to consuming DHA and EPA"
News & Research:
-
Flax may fill you up for longer, aid weight management - Nutra USA,
2/1/12
-
Plant compound reduces breast cancer mortality, study suggests - Science
Daily, 9/13/11 - "The most important type of
phytoestrogens in our Western diet are lignans, which are contained in
seeds, particularly flaxseeds, as well as in wheat and vegetables. In the
bowel, these substances are turned into enterolactone, which is absorbed by
the mucous tissue and which was determined by the Heidelberg researchers as
a biomarker in the patients' blood ... Compared to the study subjects with
the lowest enterolactone levels, the women with the highest blood levels of
this biomarker had an approximately 40 percent lower mortality risk ...
Another observation that may be interpreted in this direction is that Asian
women are less frequently affected by breast cancer. Their soy-rich diet
contains large amounts of another type of phytoestrogens, isoflavones. On
the other hand, scientists fear that isoflavones might imitate the
growth-promoting properties of real hormones and, thus, accelerate
hormone-dependent tumors such as breast cancer and prostate cancer. "It has
not yet been finally determined whether lignans in the body imitate the
hormone effect or, on the contrary, counteract it,""
-
Flaxseed no help for hot flashes during breast cancer or menopause, study
finds - Science Daily, 9/7/11
-
Flaxseed no cure for hot flashes during breast cancer or menopause, study
finds - Science Daily, 6/5/11
-
Flaxseed oil cuts osteoporosis risk in diabetic, older women - study -
Nutra USA, 11/24/09
-
Flaxseed oil may reduce osteoporosis risk - Science Daily, 11/23/09
-
ALA-DHA conversion negligible, say fatty acids experts - Nutra USA,
3/25/09 - "Alpha-linolenic acid, (ALA) does not
convert to docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) at levels that confer any
physiological benefit ... Each type of omega-3 has distinct nutritional
functions. Nevertheless, seafood/algal omega-3s – also known as long-chain
omega-3s – are more potent than terrestrial plant sources of omega-3s and
boast certain critical functions that terrestrial plant-based omega-3s
simply cannot perform"
-
Flax and borage oil may boost skin health from within - 10/3/08 -
"the researchers noted a significant decrease in
reddening of the skin in the flaxseed and
borage oil groups of 45 and 35 per
cent, respectively, compared to baseline values. No differences were recorded in
the placebo group ... blood flow to the in skin also decreased in the oil groups
... Measurements of water loss from the skin showed that the oil supplements
were associated with decreases of about 10 per cent after six weeks, with
only the flaxseed oil group showing further decreases at the end of 12 weeks
(25 per cent) ... The roughness and scaling – dry peeling skin – was also
decreased significantly after 12 weeks of flaxseed and borage oil
supplementation, with no differences in the placebo group" - [Abstract]
-
Flaxseed Oil Pills vs. Fish Oil Pills - WebMD, 9/12/08 -
"As expected, blood levels of EPA and DHA rose in
the fish oil group, and ALA rose in the flaxseed oil group. EPA levels also
rose in the flaxseed oil group, but only at the higher doses (2.4 to 3.6
grams per day). The researchers write that it's "quite attainable" to get
that much ALA from foods without taking supplements ... Since flaxseed oil
doesn't contain EPA, the firefighters' bodies must have converted some of
the ALA into EPA. That didn't seem to happen at the lower doses of flaxseed
oil ... DHA was a different story. The flaxseed oil group didn't get any
increase in DHA levels; DHA only rose in the fish oil group"
-
Alpha-linolenic acid reduces risk of nonfatal MI - theheart.org, 7/9/08
- "ALA is an intermediate-chain n-3 polyunsaturated
fatty acid that is often overshadowed by the more famous long-chain members
of the n-3 family, namely EPA and DHA acids that are found in fish oils ...
ALA intake, g/day ... 1.79 ... Relative risk of MI ... 0.43 ... The
relationship between ALA and myocardial infarction was nonlinear ... We see
a dose effect, but only up to about 0.7% of adipose tissue, which
corresponds to about 1.8 g/day. Increasing intake further was not associated
with increased protection" - See
flax seed products at iHerb
 .
-
Flaxseed May Ease Hot Flashes - WebMD, 8/30/07
-
Alpha-Linolenic Acid May Lower Risk of Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy -
Medscape, 1/7/08 - "Alpha-linolenic acid is an
omega-3 fatty acid found in many vegetable oils, including flaxseed,
walnuts, and canola oil ... Relative to adults in the lowest quintile of
alpha-linolenic acid intake (< 0.61 g/day), the multivariate-adjusted odds
of having peripheral neuropathy was 0.54 for subjects in the fourth quintile
(1.35 - 2.10 g/day) of intake and 0.40 for adults in the fifth quintile
(2.11 g/day or higher)"
-
Flaxseed Shows Potential To Reduce Hot Flashes - Science Daily, 8/29/07
- "The frequency of hot flashes decreased 50 percent
over six weeks, and the overall hot flash score decreased an average 57
percent for the women who completed the trial. Participants also reported
improvements in mood, joint or muscle pain, chills and sweating; which
significantly improved their health-related quality of life" - See
flax seed products at iHerb.
-
Flaxseed shows potential against hot flushes - Nutra USA, 8/29/07
-
Flaxseed May Curb Prostate Tumor Growth - WebMD, 6/4/07 -
"As measured by how fast their
cancer cells were dividing, tumors grew about 30% to 40% slower in the men
taking flaxseed"
-
Plant Estrogen May Cut Breast Cancer - WebMD, 3/20/07 -
"A diet rich in estrogen-like compounds
found in flaxseed, tea, and many plants may help curb breast cancer after
menopause ... Women with the highest lignan intake were 17% less likely to
be diagnosed with breast cancer during the study than those with the lowest
intake"
-
Crushed and ground flax seeds more bioavailable - Nutra USA, 12/6/05
-
Flax lignans: a cure for hair loss? - Nutra USA, 5/9/05 -
"Ten male sufferers of androgenetic
alopecia aged between 20- and 70- years received a 50mg daily dose of SDG in
the form of one 250 mg capsule of Acatris’ LinumLife Extra ... eight of the
participants reported a modest improvement in their hair loss condition, one
reported a great improvement and one reported no effect at all"
-
Flaxseed May Lower Sudden Cardiac Death Risk
- WebMD, 11/8/04
- Flaxseed Helps Prevent Common Men’s Condition -
Healthwell Exchange Daily News, 6/10/04
- Flaxseed Reduces Cholesterol in Postmenopausal Women
- New Hope Natural Media, 3/28/03 -
"The authors suggested that heating of flaxseed in the baking process might
change some of its beneficial components into forms more available to the
body"
- Flaxseed Might Block Prostate Cancer - WebMD,
11/11/02 - "A
study of mice shows that flaxseed in the diet helped improve
prostate tumors (reducing their size and severity), and even prevented
some of the mice from developing the disease ... men who ate ground flaxseed
for 34 days had a drop in levels of testosterone, which helps prostate
cancers grow, and in prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels, a marker for
prostate cancer"
- New Evidence That Dietary Soy And Flaxseed Have Positive Effect On Obesity
And Diabetes - Intelihealth, 4/22/02 -
"These
data suggest that diets rich in soy protein and
flaxseed have beneficial effects on many aspects of
obesity and diabetes"
- Hot Flash Relief - WebMD, 4/10/02 -
"Soy may give
hot-flash relief ... Flaxseed is another option ... Flaxseed oil won't
work, because oil does not contain phytoestrogens, the plant form of
estrogen. You must grind the flaxseeds; if you don't, the whole seeds will
just pass through your digestive system"
-
Flax is Not the Best Omega-3 Fat - mercola.com, 4/3/02
-
Flaxseed May Fight Breast Cancer In Postmenopausal Women
- Intelihealth, 8/30/01
- Small Study Supports Flaxseed As Cancer Fighter -
Intelihealth, 8/15/01 -
"Researchers at Duke University Medical Center found, in a study of 25 men
with prostate cancer, that even short-term diet changes resulted in tumor
cells that didn't divide as quickly as those in people not on the diet ...
this diet was really having substantial changes within 34 days ... Coupled
with low-fat eating, the diet included three tablespoons a day of finely
ground flaxseed sprinkled on cereal or mixed into juices, yogurt or
applesauce"
- A
Grain of Hope for Prostate Cancer - WebMD, 7/11/01
- "Ground flaxseed -- a grain that
was a dietary staple in the 19th century -- may prevent the growth of
prostate cancer and speed the death of tumor cells when combined with a
low-fat diet"
- A
Muffin a Day for Breast Cancer? If It Contains Flaxseed Oil, May Have
Benefits Similar to Potent Drug - WebMD, 12/8/00 -
"the investigators found that flaxseed oil's ability to reduce tumor growth
is comparable to tamoxifen."
-
Flaxseed Lignans Show Chemoprotective Effects - Nutrition Science News,
10/00
-
Cancer Prevention Diet - Nutrition Science News, 8/99
- Diet Can
Reduce Risk Of Breast Cancer - Doctor's Guide, 10/3/97
Abstracts:
-
The
relation of {alpha}-linolenic acid to the risk of prostate cancer: a
systematic review and meta-analysis - Am J Clin Nutr. 2009 Mar 25 -
"High ALA intakes or high blood and adipose tissue
concentrations of ALA may be associated with a small increased risk of
prostate cancer" - Note: I've never been a fan of ALA (medium-chain
n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids such as flaxseed oil) over fish oil
(long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids) but I thought that was the only
reason people took it and now even that's seems to be proven wrong.
-
Red
blood cell membrane alpha-linolenic acid and the risk of sudden cardiac
arrest - Metabolism. 2009 Apr;58(4):534-40 -
"Higher levels of long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in red blood
cell membranes are associated with lower risk of sudden cardiac arrest.
Whether membrane levels of alpha-linolenic acid, a medium-chain n-3
polyunsaturated fatty acid, show a similar association is unclear ... Higher
membrane alpha-linolenic acid was associated with a higher risk of sudden
cardiac arrest: after adjustment for matching factors and smoking, diabetes,
hypertension, education, physical activity, weight, height, and total fat
intake, the odds ratios corresponding to increasing quartiles of alpha-linolenic
acid were 1.7 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.0-3.0), 1.9 (95% CI,
1.1-3.3), and 2.5 (95% CI, 1.3-4.8) compared with the lowest quartile. The
association was independent of red blood cell levels of long-chain n-3 fatty
acids, trans-fatty acids, and linoleic acid. Higher membrane levels of
alpha-linolenic acid are associated with higher risk of sudden cardiac
arrest" - Note: Alpha-linolenic acid (a medium-chain n-3
polyunsaturated fatty acid) is the omega-3 found in vegetable sources such
as flaxseed as opposed to the eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and
docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) forms (long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty
acids) found in fish oils.
-
Effects
of dietary flaxseed on intestinal tumorigenesis in apc(min) mouse - Nutr
Cancer. 2009;61(2):276-83 - "COX-1 and COX-2
expression in the colon samples from the flaxseed meal group were
significantly lower (P < 0.05) as compared to the corn meal group. Dietary
flaxseed may be chemopreventive for intestinal tumor development in Apc(Min)
mice possibly by increasing omega -3 fatty acid levels, lignans, and
decreasing COX-1 and COX-2 levels"
-
Flaxseed
combined with low-dose estrogen therapy preserves bone tissue in
ovariectomized rats - Menopause. 2009 Jan 29 -
"Flaxseed + low-dose estrogen therapy resulted in the highest bone mineral
density and peak load at the lumbar vertebrae, with no effect on bone
mineral density or strength in the tibia and femur. Flaxseed and flaxseed +
low-dose estrogen therapy resulted in significantly higher relative levels
of alpha-linolenic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid and lower levels of
linoleic acid, arachidonic acid, and n-6/n-3 ratio in the lumbar vertebrae
and tibia compared with all other groups"
-
Flaxseed
Supplementation (Not Dietary Fat Restrict...[Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers
Prev. 2008] - PubMed Result - Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2008
Dec;17(12):3577-3587 - "Men were on protocol an
average of 30 days. Proliferation rates were significantly lower (P < 0.002)
among men assigned to the flaxseed arms. Median Ki-67-positive cells/total
nuclei ratios (x100) were 1.66 (flaxseed-supplemented diet) and 1.50
(flaxseed-supplemented, low-fat diet) versus 3.23 (control) and 2.56
(low-fat diet) ... Findings suggest that flaxseed is safe and associated
with biological alterations that may be protective for prostate cancer"
-
Flaxseed oil prevents
trans-10, cis-12-conjugated linoleic acid-induced insulin resistance in mice
- Br J Nutr. 2008 Aug 19:1-8 - "The present results
suggest that some adverse effects of CLA may be due to n-3 PUFA deficiency
and that these can be corrected by a concomitant increase in the intake of
alpha-linolenic acid, 18 : 3n-3"
-
Effect of green tea on kidney tubules of diabetic rats - Br J Nutr. 2008
Feb 6;:1-8 - "It has been documented that
green tea (GT) and its catechin components
improve renal failure and inhibit the growth of mesangial cells ... GT
treatment significantly (P < 0.01) reduced the serum glucose, glycosylated
protein, serum creatinine and blood urea N levels by 29.6 (sem 3.7), 22.7 (sem
5.2), 38.9 (sem 10) and 41.7 (sem 1.9) %, respectively ... the GT-treated
group showed a significant 44 (sem 10.8) % higher creatinine clearance (Ccr)
... GT reduced the urea N, creatinine, glucose and protein excretion rates
by 30 (sem 7.6), 35.4 (sem 5.3), 34.0 (sem 5.3) and 46.0 (sem 13.0) %
compared with the 12 weeks diabetic group. Administration of GT to 12 weeks
diabetic rats significantly (P < 0.001) prevented (99.98 (sem 0.27) % less)
the accumulation of glycogen in the kidney tubules. These results indicate
that in STZ diabetes, kidney function
appears to be improved with GT consumption which also prevents glycogen
accumulation in the renal tubules, probably by lowering blood levels of
glucose. Therefore, GT could be beneficial additional therapy in the
management of diabetic nephropathy"
-
Dietary supplementation with flaxseed oil lowers blood pressure in
dyslipidaemic patients - Eur J Clin Nutr. 2007 Jan 31 -
"Supplementation with ALA resulted
in significantly lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels compared
with LA"
-
Flaxseed Oil Increases the Plasma Concentrations of Cardioprotective (n-3)
Fatty Acids in Humans - J Nutr. 2006 Jan;136(1):83-7 -
"This study demonstrates the
efficacy of the conversion of ALA to EPA and DPA in a minority population
with chronic disease"
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